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Working as a professional photographer is an exciting, fast paced and competitive job and if you’re struggling to make ends meet or just want to increase your income, then diversifying your business is a reliable strategy to achieve this.
The economy has been going through some ups and downs recently and one of the ways that you can weather the storm is to have a broad portfolio of services on offer and a variety of different but complimentary aspects to your photography business.
Not only can diversifying your photography business help to boost your income but it can also be fun and provide you with a more interesting work schedule. Don’t forget that many of the skills that you take for granted in photography are highly transferable and put you in a great position to expand your services and grow your business.
Try Different Genres – Branch Out To Expand Your Horizons.
Whatever field you are working in branching out to new genres will create a whole new world of opportunities for you and your business. The skills that you have mastered, from the practical photography skillset to the entrepreneurial spirit, will help you break into new sectors much faster than it was the first time round!
There are many great genres that you can work in within professional photography but in the first instance you should select things you are either interested in or have past experience with. If you hate weddings then becoming a wedding photographer might be a bad call! Whereas if you are passionate about landscapes then giving it a shot in a professional capacity is something you will never regret.
It’s a good idea to have 2 or 3 genres that you can work in, look for new clients and build up a reputation in so that if one of your avenues is not going too well you can fall back on your other genres to support you and your business.
Top 10 Genres To Consider in Professional Photography.
There are many more genres that you can consider and while some are easier to make money in than others, here are a few for you to consider if you are wondering whether the time is right to branch out into some new genres/portfolio of work in your business.
- Events Photography.
- Wedding Photography.
- Landscape Photography.
- Portrait Photography.
- Urban and Street Photography.
- Wildlife and Nature Photography.
- Product and Brand Marketing Photography.
- Fashion Photography.
- Real Estate Photography.
- Travel Photography.
Increase and Develop Your Online Presence Using Social Media.
One of the most powerful tools at your disposal when you are looking to diversify your photography business is social media. The incredible reach at your fingertips lets you connect with new clients, break into new genres and grow your reputation and authority within the industry.
Making use of social media allows you to share and discover new ideas as well as promote new services that you are offering. One of the best platforms to develop your online media presence is Instagram however it’s better to spread your net as widely as possible and so using Facebook, LinkedIn and Pinterest as well is a better long term strategy.
With multiple different platforms you can drive new traffic to your website and attract new clients and customers. This is particularly important if you are branching out into a new genre of professional photography when you may not have the social and business relationships in place already.
The opportunities for networking are second to none on the social media platforms so be sure to present a professional image and upload some great examples of your work in an easily accessible form.
Mentoring Others Interested in Photography.
Mentoring is a great way to give back to the photography community, particularly if you have enjoyed success and are a proficient photographer. This is something that you might choose to do, not so much for financial reasons but to provide the support and advice that new photographers can benefit from.
Your potential impact on the career and potential of a new or student photographer could be huge which is one of the best rewards you could hope for! Being there to give a word of wisdom to someone who is struggling or just starting out in their photography journey is a wonderful thing to do that will bring you a great deal of satisfaction. It’s a big responsibility to take on but the social, personal and developmental rewards are massive.
Learn Video and Offer Videography Services.
Adding videography, editing and 360 degree shoots will provide you with a wide range of new possibilities. It may seem like a big leap to make from taking still shots however if you are using a modern, professional level DSLR or mirrorless camera then you will already have high definition video functionality available to you. You can use video to work in the real estate industry, in fashion, weddings and events opportunities. You can offer to do both still photos and videos for your clients which will help you to stand out from the competition.
Increasingly, companies and businesses want to use videos to help promote their brand and create stronger bonds with their customers. You can help them create memorable videos that present the ethos of their company and products in a great light.
When you are starting out in video then practise the shooting, editing and post production before putting up a well crafted video on social media. Use this to advertise your services to prospective clients!
Teaching Courses Online and at Institutions.
Teaching photography courses, either online or in person, is a reliable and lucrative way to diversify your business. Creating an online course has never been easier, with most platforms having useful templates and other formats that you can use for free when designing your course. Once you have a virtual course online it will do the work for you as a helpful form of passive income. You can also direct new traffic to your course as well as relying on the organic search engine algorithms to guide interested parties to your course.
Teaching photography courses in person will require you to find a space to work from. You can hire a space in many different venues, work with a photography school or teach from your own studio. You can teach individuals one on one lessons or run group sessions for larger numbers of people. Be sure to tailor the courses that you offer to your specific skill set but still be prepared to run through the basics with new students.
Teaching photography is a great way to give back to the community and help new budding photographers thrive in the future while making a good income. You can be very flexible as to when you teach which means that you can fit your lessons around your pre-existing commitments.
Sell Photography Related Products.
There are many ways that you could start to sell products. If you are taking wedding photos, for instance, then you can offer your clients physical prints, photo books of the event and even mugs, T-shirts and other items with images from the wedding! This can be offered to your clients in various packages that you can put together for them to choose from. This type of upselling can have an impressive result on your profits and will leave your clients feeling happier with a better choice of services available.
As well as selling products to clients you are actively working with you can also set up an online shop, on sites such as Etsy, and sell everything from T-shirts to calendars, photobooks to mugs, large canvas prints and much more. These products are printed on demand so there is no cost to you to start out with and once you have set up a shop you can advertise your products on your social media, through your blog and on your website.
Growing and Diversifying Your Photography Business is Essential to Grow Your Client Base and Increase Your Authority in the Industry.
Not only will diversifying your photography business help you to grow your profits and create new income streams but it will also keep things interesting and new. It’s exciting to break into a new sector of your industry and with the transferable skills you have already built up your progress will be faster than when you first started out in professional photography.
Staying in touch with new advancements in technology and what your competitors are offering their clients will help you to remain at the forefront of your industry. It will take personal courage and some hard work to diversify your photography business but the results will soon pay off and you’ll never regret taking a chance in new areas of business.
How do you plan to grow and diversity your photography business?
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